Nuclear Energy: The Good News and the Bad News In the EPA Clean Energy Plan

Lasrick writes: Peter Bradford explains what the EPA's new Clean Power Plan has in store for nuclear energy. He provides an excellent explanation of the details of the plan, and how the nuclear industry benefits (or doesn't). "The competitive position of all new low-carbon electricity sources will improve relative to fossil fuels. New reactors (including the five under construction) and expansions of existing plants will count toward state compliance with the plan's requirements as new sources of low-carbon energy. Existing reactors, however, must sink or swim on their own prospective economic performance—the final plan includes no special carbon-reduction credits to help them."

Comments

Re:Oh boy... Nuclear!

[Anonymous Coward]

Your right, the numbers should give people pause, to ask "Why the hell aren't we using nuclear power?"

Energy Source Death Rate (deaths per TWh) CORRECTED
Coal – world average 161 (26% of world energy, 50% of electricity)
Nuclear 0.04 (5.9% of world energy)

Was going to paste the whole table but /.'s filter kept complaining about white space and junk characters

Whole thing is here
http://nextbigfuture.com/2011/03/deaths-per-twh-by-energy-source.html

Or just google it, which you obviously didn't do before you posted.
(if you where being sarcastic just ignore my snark, my sarcasm detector isn't good at picking up subtle jabs)

Re:Oh boy... Nuclear!

[RenderSeven]

• Energy Source Death Rate (deaths per TWh) CORRECTED
• Coal (elect, heat,cook –world avg): 100 (26% of world energy, 50% of electricity)
• Coal electricity – world avg: 60 (26% of world energy, 50% of electricity)
• Coal (elect,heat,cook)– China: 170
• Coal electricity- China: 90
• Coal – USA: 15
• Oil: 36 (36% of world energy)
• Natural Gas: 4 (21% of world energy)
• Biofuel/Biomass: 12
• Peat: 12
• Solar (rooftop): 0.44 (0.2% of world energy for all solar)
• Wind: 0.15 (1.6% of world energy)
• Hydro: 0.10 (europe death rate, 2.2% of world energy)
• Hydro - world including Banqiao): 1.4 (about 2500 TWh/yr and 171,000 Banqiao dead)
• Nuclear: 0.04 (5.9% of world energy)

Note the above does not include Fukishima. Other sources that account for that increase nuclear to .09 (90 dead per trillion kWh)

Re:Where? (from TFA)

[willworkforbeer]

"The four reactors being built in Georgia and South Carolina were supposed to demonstrate that new construction techniques and a new licensing process had finally brought nuclear plant cost overruns and construction delays under control, but they have shown the reverse. Construction of the fifth new US reactor, Watts Bar Unit 2 in Tennessee, began in 1973."